LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 30: Andy Roddick of the USA walks off court after being defeated in his Gentlemen's Singles third round match against David Ferrer of Spain on day six of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club at Wimbledon on June 30, 2012 in London, England. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)

He looked as if he was saying goodbye, spending a few extra moments to wave at the Centre Court crowd, and perhaps it will turn out that way. But Andy Roddick wasn't giving any definitive answers at Wimbledon after losing in the third round to fifth-ranked David Ferrer 2-6, 7-6 (8), 6-4, 6-3.

The 29-year-old Roddick has grown weary of the retirement questions, a staple of his post-match interviews for nearly a year. Whenever the day comes, it's something he'll handle on his own terms. More to the point Saturday was a very tough loss, and one blown shot in particular.

With a set in hand, Roddick had a set point in the second-set tiebreaker and netted a routine forehand. The set slipped away a few moments later, on another blown forehand, and the relentless Ferrer never let him back into the match.

"I thought I played well," said Roddick. "But that one forehand, I had a really good look and it just clipped the tape. That was a big turning point there."

U.S. watch: Roddick's departure notwithstanding, it was a good day for the American men. Mardy Fish defeated David Goffin 6-3, 7-6 (6), 7-6 (6), and Brian Baker outclassed Benoit Paire 6-4, 4-6, 6-1, 6-3, sending each into the fourth round.

Sam Querrey gave a mighty effort trying to join his countrymen, but with darkness falling on Court 2, he took a 7-6 (8), 6-4, 6-7 (2), 6-7 (3), 17-15 loss against Marin Cilic.

Inspired: Baker's story has surpassed the realm of novelty. He's hasn't merely risen from outright obscurity, he also has become a threat to win any match he plays.

Baker had hoped to be granted wild-card status, but now says his relegation to the Wimbledon qualifying was the best thing that could have happened. "I hadn't played on grass in seven years," he said. "Those three matches gave me a chance to find my footing. It's what I needed."

Just barely: With the Centre Court roof now in play for matches lasting into the night, Wimbledon has an 11 p.m. curfew, so as to curtail noise and traffic in the surrounding neighborhood. It was precisely 11 o'clock as Andy Murray took a 5-1 lead in the fourth set, and play was allowed to continue - fortunately for everyone but Marcos Baghdatis.

Murray, despite taking several falls and appearing to be dealing with a sore groin and ankle, held on for a 7-5, 3-6, 7-5, 6-1 victory over Baghdatis as the tournament witnessed indoor drama for the fourth straight night.

The meteor: And just like that, Lukas Rosol was gone. The man who defeated Rafael Nadal Thursday night in one of the sport's greatest upsets crashed hurriedly back to Earth in a 6-2, 6-3, 7-6 (6) loss to Germany's 30th-ranked Philipp Kohlschreiber.

The match was relegated to Court 12, and the result was viewed as inevitable - a complete nonstory. The 100th-ranked Rosol is a 26-year-old journeyman, a man who admits that although he's capable of beating anyone, "I can also lose to 500 (in the world rankings)." He was due for a jolt of tour reality, and that's exactly what happened.

Whitewash: At the recent French Open, Italy's Sara Errani parlayed her clay-court skills straight through to the final, where she lost to Maria Sharapova. On the Court 3 grass Saturday, she felt as if transported to a different planet. Yaroslava Shvedova, a wild card from Kazakhstan ranked 65th in the world, became the first player (man or woman) in Grand Slam tournament history to win all 24 points in a set.

Shvedova's 6-0, 6-4 win sent her into the fourth round against Serena Williams, who felt fortunate to get through. Jie Zheng, a Chinese player who has performed mostly in Li Na's shadow over the years, played Serena on even terms before losing 7-6, 2-6, 9-7 in a Centre Court thriller.

Serena rarely ventures to the net, but that's where she clinched the match, anticipating Jie's down-the-line forehand and answering it with a winning backhand volley. "I told her she played unbelievable," Williams said. "I definitely felt like this was a gut check, but I've always been really strong mentally. That's not going anywhere."